Does this trade make sense for the Indiana Pacers?
Dumping Jeremy Lamb’s salary would definitely be beneficial for the Indiana Pacers since they are inching closer to the tax, but this trade with the Lakers makes no sense for them since they would hard-cap themselves by acquiring Wesley Matthews on a contract that is way above his pay-grade.
The Pacers would essentially be paying 34-year-old Wesley Matthews a major upgrade in his salary just to unload Jeremy Lamb, which is not worthwhile in my mind.
Indiana being hard-capped is not that much of a problem, but this is a team that is coming off a year in which they did not make the playoffs because of injuries. The Pacers have a chance to compete at a high-level, but they do not need Matthews nor Gasol to do so. This trade really does nothing for them, which is why it does not make sense.
At some point during the 2021-22 season, a team or two are going to show interest in Jeremy Lamb and they will be able to unload him for another key talent or a draft pick or two. Seeing as he is being paid $10.5M, the Pacers could look to match him with an equal-like contract in order to “beef” up their roster heading towards the postseason.
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Who knows what kind of player they would be able to get in return for Lamb, but the possibility still exists, which is why they should take their time trying to get a deal done for him. They are not in dire need of cap space right now and are in no rush to free up a roster spot, which is why this trade with the Lakers makes no sense for the Indiana Pacers.
